The NFL season starts today and I have to give you my predictions. With the pandemic still not fully over yet in the US, this will probably the NFL’s strangest season ever. I can’t wait for it to start, and it’ll definitely be a fun season to watch. I’ll go through previews and my predictions for each team, organized by division. Playoff teams are in bold.
AFC East
1. Buffalo Bills (12-4)
Great season incoming for Bills with the addition of Stefon Diggs along with Josh Allen and a good defense.
2. New England Patriots (10-6)
Tom Brady is gone, but the Pats will play OK with the addition of Cam Newton, even with players opting out.
3. Miami Dolphins (5-11)
A better season for the Dolphins, but not as good as they would have expected with a good draft pick.
4. New York Jets (3-13)
The Jets aren’t very good and they didn’t add anyone of note in the offseason.
AFC North
1. Baltimore Ravens (14-2)
Life is good when you have reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson.
2. Cleveland Browns (9-7)
After years of waiting and rebuilding, the Browns will finally make the playoffs, led by Baker Mayfield.
3. Cincinnati Bengals (7-9)
After being the NFL’s worst team last year, they’ll take a big step up to an almost-even record.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-9)
The Steelers didn’t make the playoffs last season and they’ll drop off again this season.
AFC South
1. Houston Texans (12-4)
Even with the loss of Deandre Hopkins, the Texans will still win the AFC South.
2. Tennessee Titans (11-5)
Another great season for the flying-high Titans.
3. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
The Colts will play well, but they have aging quarterback Phillip Rivers.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15)
The Jaguars will have a terrible season, and I predict they will have the first pick.
AFC West
1. Kansas City Cheifs (14-2)
The defending champions will have another great season, winning the AFC West along the way.
2. Denver Broncos (9-7)
The Broncos will just miss out on the playoffs because of the loss of linebacker Von Miller for the season.
3. Los Angeles Chargers (6-10)
The Chargers have the talent and a rookie quarterback, but there are too many uncertainties.
4. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
There’s nothing special about the Raiders, even though they are moving into a new city.
NFC East
1. Dallas Cowboys (10-6)
The Cowboys have a lot of talent and this could be their year.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)
Even though they won the Super Bowl three years ago, they’ll miss out on the playoffs this year.
3. New York Giants (2-14)
The Giants have their starting QB for the future in Daniel Jones, but not much else.
4. Washington Football Team (2-14)
Their name change and ownership scandal is about the most exciting that I predict will happen to them this season.
NFC North
1. Green Bay Packers (11-5)
The Packers still have Aaron Rodgers for a couple more years and he’ll be key to their success if they want to win a Super Bowl.
2. Minnesota Vikings (11-5)
The Vikings are led by Kirk Cousins and have all the keys to make them a team in the hunt.
3. Chicago Bears (7-9)
The Bears look good on paper but need to sort out a couple of things in a tough division.
4. Detroit Lions (3-13)
The Lions will probably still struggle like last season.
NFC South
1. New Orleans Saints (14-2)
Another 14-2 record, the Saints have done all they could over the past couple of years, but have had bad luck.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4)
The Bucs have a record good enough to win any division, coming in second to the Saints powerhouse.
3. Atlanta Falcons (4-12)
After falling apart in the Super Bowl four years ago, the Falcons will keep spiraling downwards.
4. Carolina Panthers (2-14)
The only bright spot for the Panthers will be Christian McCaffrey.
NFC West
1. San Francisco 49ers (14-2)
The only challenge for the 9ers could be injuries.
2. Seattle Seahawks (12-4)
With Russell Wilson, the Seahawks will be a force to be reckon with, albeit in a tough division.
3. Los Angeles Rams (6-10)
Another struggling LA team, the Rams don’t have the talent anymore to compete.
4. Arizona Cardinals (6-10)
The Cardinals have Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins, but they still need a couple good players to be able to win their division.
Super Bowl
Saints 30- Ravens 24
Sources:
The Goal Post 